Uber-budget 'cross-ish build

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe B on April 13, 2010 at 6:01pm

How's it ride on dirt?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 13, 2010 at 6:19pm

Not bad, actually. Will have to get some 'cross 27" tires to really try it out. But the front end geometry, if you looked at the pics, is a bit slow. I kept thinking I had the headset too tight for a bit. But for under $50 in the past 3 months (everything else I've had for longer than that) it's outstanding. Not toooo heavy, but not light either. I figure the frame is straight-guage tubing... maybe in the 24 lb range.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joe B on April 14, 2010 at 1:06pm

Steel is real, as they say.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 19, 2010 at 3:41am

still trying to get used to using the thumb shifters with drop bars. Hey, I had them from an old MTB and they work. And yeah, it's an old 27" wheelset with a 5-speed freewheel,14-34. All I can say is, it works well and it's a shame to swap it out just to roll something newer.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JMack on April 19, 2010 at 10:19am

Nice ride, especially for the price. Don't see many Suntour parts still functioning. And you know you can do this right:

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 19, 2010 at 12:38pm

Yeah... how *did* you get the photos to pop in? I thought it'd work by using the "attachments" button.

Here's the front end:

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 19, 2010 at 12:39pm

Crossed the derailer cables out front, then back again along the downtube. Right-front brakes, probably will do this with the rest, as it causes less confusion when I do hop on the motorcycle.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by andrew on April 19, 2010 at 10:20pm

hey that is a cool ride. very similar to my first cx bike with some original tri-cross 27" tires. is that a JIS headset frame? i eventually got cant braze-ons put on mine and swapped out the fork and today it's still one of my singlespeeds.

fyi, i once put the thumbs in the drops - worked pretty well for a bit. the deore dx had bendable mounts.

if you want more braking power, drop the straddle even more (if you swap to an adjustable length one).

rip it up and tell us how it rides! looking forward to seeing it with knobs.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 20, 2010 at 3:39am

Andrew - yes, it is a JIS headset. When I was installing a new headset I didn't think about it and couldn't get the bottom cup to seat. Sheldon Brown to the rescue, and then to the LBS for the correct one.

Will think about the thumb shifters in the drops. I've inherited a random bunch of them, so all's fair. Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

I could swap the straddle cable for a "normal" one on the front brake but this one I kept because it seems to work well with Kool Stop salmon's up front - with the shorter one, the kool stops grabbed to the point of chatter/stutter. Was thinking about brazing canti posts on this but honestly, the centerpulls have PLENTY of clearance, both around the tire and for mud at the rims and they stop great so I can't think of a reason to change them.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 29, 2010 at 6:27am

UPDATE: Took it out on the mountain bike trail last night. Here's what I found:

GOOD:
- Centerpulls with Kool-Stop salmon road pads work GREAT. And the longer straddle cable actually improves brake operation. I know, sounds counter intuitive but it does. Compared to Canti's, I'd run the old centerpulls on every bike if I could. There is tons of clearance, both for tires and for mud at the rims. Stops just as well. Easier to set up.
- Faster than the full-boinger guys on hard pack, and can get away from them on the climbs. However they'd catch me at the root-y sections or rocks, because I can't just plow through them.

BAD:
- It's just the geometry of the bike. Too much fork rake I think, makes the front end feel too light. Washed out easily at times. And if I stood up and put my weight over the front to keep it down (like climbing on switchbacks) the back end would skate. Part of this is because I was running slicks (road tires) but I've done this course before on a different bike with Pasela's so I do have a baseline of what to expect with road tires. I REALLY want to love this bike, and maybe it'll work as a city bike but I just can't do it as a 'cross bike.
- Thumb Shifters on the bars. Great on road, but not always so great on the trails. I'd rather go back to bar-ends.

So... good experiment, and with a diferent frame I'd be set but this one isn't it.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on April 29, 2010 at 6:49am

Oh yeah - put a road triple on it and left it in the middle (40t) ring the whole time. Single ring setups, here I come.

• ▶ Reply